Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

The next morning, a ray of sunlight shone into the room through the window lattice. Wang Xifeng and Lin Ruhai slowly opened their eyes and looked at each other, as if trying to read something from each other's eyes.

Wang Xifeng was the first to break the silence, asking softly, "My dear, yesterday you looked a little strange after reading my second uncle's letter. Did something happen?"

Lin Ruhai sighed softly and said slowly, "It's not a big deal. My second uncle mentioned in his letter that he has arrived in Shaanxi. As a high-ranking official in a certain area, his life is much more comfortable and relaxed than when he was in the capital."

However, this wasn't the main point. Lin Ruhai continued, "Second Uncle also heard colleagues in Shaanxi and Gansu discussing events in Jiangnan, and he was quite worried. Even more worrying was that when he left the capital, he witnessed the Zhen family sending gifts to his in-laws' home, and the Eighth Prince taking the concubine of the Prince of Nan'an as his concubine. You know, the Prince of Nan'an commands a large army and has been stationed at the border!"

Lin Ruhai frowned and felt heavy-hearted at the news. He knew that these events might be the product of a complex political struggle, and that being in the middle of it, he would inevitably be affected. He was also worried about the situation in Jiangnan, fearing that his family and friends would be implicated.

Wang Xifeng listened quietly to her husband's words. She could sense his inner anxiety and worry. Although she didn't know much about officialdom, she understood what the news meant. She held Lin Ruhai's hand tightly, offering him silent support.

Lin Ruhai took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew that in the face of such a situation, he needed to remain calm and rational and not be swayed by his emotions.

The second uncle's letter also said: "Since entering the Jia Mansion, Dai'er has not lived in her mother's residence, but has insisted on living in the green gauze cabinet of Mrs. Jia. If she lived there alone, it would be fine, and it could be explained as convenient for her to take care of her elderly grandmother. But why let her live in the same room with the Jia Mansion's phoenix egg? What is the intention? Don't they know that boys and girls should sit at separate tables after the age of seven? The Jia family's behavior is completely unruly!"

Xifeng wasn't overly surprised by Lin Ruhai's words. After all, she knew that Lin Daiyu and Jia Baoyu had grown up together, childhood sweethearts, inseparable and deeply in love. However, she didn't dare tell Lin Ruhai about these things, fearing that he would be furious and rush to the capital to strangle Lin Daiyu to death.

Recalling how Baoyu had spread the sisters' poems throughout the streets and alleys in her previous life, ruining those women's reputations and leading to tragic endings, Xifeng couldn't help but sigh. However, now she was no longer the Jia family's second wife, but the mistress of the Lin family. She couldn't abandon the entire Lin family for a few girls with whom she had no deep feelings. So she could only bury her feelings deep in her heart and silently endure this helplessness.

After Lin Daiyu arrived at the Jia residence to pay her respects to Grandmother Jia, she was led by a servant to hurriedly head for Jia Min's residence. She had imagined her mother to be frail, sickly, yet graceful, but the reality shocked her. As she reached the door, she felt a surge of homesickness. After a moment's hesitation, she finally mustered the courage to enter the room. However, just as she was about to push open the door, she couldn't help but cry out, "Mother!"

Inside the door, a fat woman was sitting at the table, holding a large bowl filled with rice mixed with lard in her hand. The table was filled with all kinds of colorful and greasy food. Hearing someone come in, Jia Min slowly raised her head. Suddenly, a girl as graceful as a willow tree appeared in front of her, which made her stunned. After a while, she excitedly called out: "Yu'er!" As soon as the voice fell, the mother and daughter immediately hugged each other and cried bitterly. Lai Ma, who was standing by, was worried that Jia Min's excessive excitement would affect the fetus in her belly, and hurriedly persuaded: "Aunt, Miss Lin, stop crying. Aunt is still pregnant! Miss Lin, please persuade your mother." After hearing this, Daiyu's expression froze as if the pause button was pressed. After a long while, she managed to force a smile and asked in a trembling voice: "Mother, are you pregnant? Is this child... your father's?" "I will write to Dad right away to tell him that you are pregnant with a brother and ask him to welcome you back." When Jia Min heard Daiyu's words, her face changed slightly and she said timidly: "Yu'er, don't worry about the adults' affairs..."

Daiyu said excitedly: "Why? Haven't you always wanted Daddy to give birth to a son? Now that you have one, why don't you tell Daddy?"

Seeing Daiyu keep asking, Jia Min had no choice but to say awkwardly, "Yu'er, this is not your father's child..."

This sentence was like a bolt from the blue, pounding Daiyu's heart into the abyss. She stared at Jia Min with eyes wide open in disbelief, as if the whole world was collapsing at this moment.

Daiyu felt the world spinning, her vision blackening, and her body swaying uncontrollably. Shock, pain, and despair filled her heart. Add to that the fatigue of the last few days of travel, and her spirit was already fragile. Unable to withstand such a blow, she rolled her eyes and fell backwards.

The people around screamed and rushed forward to support Daiyu, trying to wake her up, but Daiyu had already fallen into a coma and was unconscious.